FDA Releases Sunscreen Guidelines: Here’s What You Need To Know Before You Hit The Beach This Weekend

Heck, here’s what you need to know before you go outside this afternoon. These FDA guidelines have been in limbo since 1978, so I think it's safe to say that you’ve waited long enough!

Starting next summer, in order for sunscreens to claim they protect against skin cancer, they have to prove they filter out those scary UVA rays in addition to UVB rays, which are currently tackled via the Sun Protection Factor, or as we know it as, SPF.

How will you know your sunscreen is blocking both? The SPF should be higher than 15 (anything lower will now carry a warning) and the bottle should also say “broad spectrum”. Broad spectrum will now officially verify protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Sorry gals, reapplying is still very necessary.

More nitty-gritty fine print (trust me, it's worth knowing about!): The FDA is ALSO prohibiting sunscreens from being marketed as “waterproof” or “sweat-proof” since no sunscreen has such magical powers and sunscreens marketed as “water-resistant” must specify the length of resistance time.

Finally, the FDA is proposing to cap the highest SPF at 50, since it is generally believed that 50 is as protected as you get - but this rule remains in limbo, ladies, so stay tuned and keep an eye on those SPF 100s.

So gals, there you have it. Surprised? Delighted? Relieved? Overwhelmed? Confused? Tell us what you think of these new guidelines. And do your skin a favor and block up this weekend!